


Quality Programming for Children 101

by mogigraphia



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: AU, Fluff, Kid!Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-10
Updated: 2011-12-10
Packaged: 2017-10-27 04:06:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/291444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mogigraphia/pseuds/mogigraphia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David and Jack have a mild disagreement concerning appropriate television shows for their son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quality Programming for Children 101

David loved his husband wholeheartedly. Jack had stood by him through thick and thin; they had weathered their free speech hating principal as teenagers, they’d dealt with attending college on opposite sides of the country. David had even found joy with the result of Jack’s midlife crisis flavored one night stand, which had taken place during their horrifying break three years ago.

Eliot had brought an added depth to their lives, something David had realized the moment Shannon had informed Jack that he was soon to be a father and that he had better be prepared to take care of it, but Jack was just fully realizing with every night spent at home playing with Legos, and every Sunday morning spent covered in pancake batter. Having a child, or rather, preparing for a child was something that came naturally for David. He read all the right books, updated his CPR classes, filled what had previously been their guest room with so much furniture that Jack had outright gaped at the finished product, once they’d painted the room a gentle teal and cursed at an IKEA crib before managing to assemble it.

And, just as David had suspected, Jack was a wonderful father. Kids had always liked Jack; he never talked down to them, was always interested and playful and never too ‘grown up’ to be ridiculous for the sake of fun. He was forever being begged to babysit for Sarah’s growing brood, and forever loved (and crushed on) by the throngs of teenagers to whom he taught journalism at the local high school.

However, Jack was still Jack, and gave David occasional cause for concern. Such as now, as he shambled into the living room shortly after waking up to find both of them sitting on the couch, watching an overly excitable purple dinosaur caper about on the screen.

“Jack, we talked about this.”

“No, you talked about this, using your patented long winded, ‘beat around the bush and also my head’ style of conversation, all I did was grunt noncommittally when you finally finished,” Jack responded with a smile at Eliot as he clapped along, and generally had the time of his two year old life. It was almost enough to make David feel guilty about outlawing Barney, except when he looked back at the tv and saw the wide moving mouth and crazily spinning eyes, and nope, absolutely no regrets.

Jack shot David a frown, his eyes Jack-wide and unfair set against his overnight stubble and bedhead.

“Dave, just because you’re scared of him…”

“I am not _frightened_ of _that_ ,” David said derisively. “It’s just that…he’s singing about macaroni and cheese, Jack.”

“Yeah? So?” answered Jack in the same tone. David shook his head; he could see they were shortly about to go around in circles with it again, and one thing being together for over ten years had taught him, taught them both, was that it was only worth it to argue or get angry about things that actually _mattered_. That didn’t mean he had to be completely happy about it either.

“Forget it, forget it,” he said, waving it off with a little annoyance as he bent down to kiss the top of Eliot’s head good morning. Immediately, his little grinning face pointed upwards, grabbing for David’s curls immediately.

“No no, Poppa kisses,” he said imperviously, pointing to his cheeks. David smiled, and indulgently kissed Eliot’s right cheek, and then his left, and then once more on the right before the toddler was satisfied enough to wiggle back under Jack’s arm and resume watching Baby Bop sing about the itsy bitsy spider.

“Have a good day off,” he told Jack, trying not to sound grudging at having to go in to work at the paper while the school district was on winter break, giving his husband a kiss that landed on his chin before slowly making his way into the kitchen for some much needed caffeine.

Later on that night, much, much later on, after a hectic day of guiding his staff to meet deadlines before Christmas, much later after the sun had set, David trudged back up the snowy driveway, muttering about herding cats and much needed sleep. He opened the door quietly; conscious that Eliot might already be asleep, toeing off his shoes and leaving them on the mat. David could see the soft glow of the television against the wall to the left of the door, and followed the quiet music as he walked up the hallway to peer into the living room.

Once again Barney was on the screen, and Jack was sitting on the couch, Eliot presumably sitting next to him or on his lap. While Jack was an advocate for the show, David couldn’t imagine that he watched it by himself. Sure enough, as he crept closer, he saw Eliot lying across Jack’s lap, fighting to keep his eyes open. David resisted the urge to sigh; for all he knew they’d watched the tv all damn day, and Jack knew how much he hated letting their son fall asleep in front of it.

 _“Oh a family is people and a family is love, that’s a family, they come in all shapes and sizes and different kinds, but mine’s just right for me, yeah, mine’s just right for me.”_

And damn the singing dinosaur and the happy little children on screen, but listening to the song and looking on at his ridiculous, short sighted, impatient, wonderful husband with their child, and he just couldn’t find it in him. David bent down, draping an arm around Jack’s shoulder as he kissed his cheek.

“Good evening,” he said, watching Jack startle, and look a little tired himself.

“Oh, geez, I didn’t realize how late it was, we were just waiting for you, Eliot didn’t wanna go to bed without saying goodnight,” he said quickly and apologetically, his eyes big and full of guilt. David’s heart twisted all over again.

“Nah, don’t worry about it, it happens,” he said, nudging Jack’s face around so he could kiss his lips. “Let’s get the munchkin to bed.” Jack smiled, one hand brushing with fond familiarity through the curls at the nape of his neck before standing; and hoisting their son up gently to his chest and shuffling off toward his room. David watched them for a moment, and then followed. 


End file.
